This invention relates to a cloth feed control for a cloth spreading machine, and more particularly to a variable cloth feed speed control for a cloth spreading machine.
In the operation of cloth spreading machines, longitudinally and reciprocally movable over a cutting table, and including a driven cloth feed roll for feeding a web of cloth from a cloth supply to and along the cutting table as the machine frame moves over the cutting table, the relative speed of the cloth feed and the frame movement is critical in order that the cloth may be spread upon the table and upon the preceding layers of cloth with a minimum of stretching or wrinkling.
Various types of cloth feed controls for cloth spreading machines are know in the art. Many such controls utilize dancer rolls or other sensors for detection of slack loops of cloth, or the cloth feed speed is corrected by manual adjustment during the progress of the cloth spreading operation. These various detection and control methods actuate electrical motors or motor controls to stop and start the cloth feed when desired, or vary the electrical resistance in a motor speed control in order to continually change the speed of the cloth feed roll, so that it conforms with the linear speed of the machine frame.
Examples of some of the prior art cloth feed control mechanisms are disclosed in the following U.S. patents:
______________________________________ 3,400,927 Martin Sr., et al Sept. 10, 1968 3,663,006 Benson et al May 16, 1972 3,684,273 Benson et al Aug. 15, 1972 3,727,907 Martin Sr., et al April 17, 1973 3,782,649 Frederick et al Jan. 1, 1974 ______________________________________